Something Furry Underfoot
by Amy L. Peterson
Copyright 2013
Non-Fiction
224 pages
Since starting the blog, I don’t have as much time to read as I used to. That’s why I like to write book reviews, because it gives me an excuse to do something I really enjoy. So when the author contacted me and offered me a copy of her book to read and review, I was happy to do so. I’m glad I did, because it is a very enjoyable book!
Something Furry Underfoot is the story of the author’s life with a houseful of a variety of pets. When Amy marries her husband Mark, she knows she is taking on four stepchildren as well. As if that’s not enough, it doesn’t take long before she discovers her new husband is an animal lover and “always wanted” just about every animal there is out there that can be a pet.
He starts by using the children as an excuse, with the first animals coming into their lives when Mark talks Amy into purchasing an aquarium for their 6 year old son Conrad’s birthday. She thought this aquarium would be for fish, but as it turns out frogs end up living in there. That is only the beginning, and it goes on from there….frogs to iguanas. The next thing her husband has always wanted is a hedgehog (he no longer has to use the children as an excuse!). From there it is ferrets, and then a puppy who can’t be alone, so one dog leads to two (many of us can relate to that).
Next thing, their daughter needs a pet of her own so they end up with guinea pigs, and after that Mark starts bringing home hamsters, gerbils, and mice that he rescues from his work as a biology professor at a local college. By now, animals seem to gravitate towards Amy and Mark. She finds a kitten under their deck who they name Purrkins, and people she works with soon learn her reputation as an animal rescuer and that brings in rabbits and even a duck.
Interspersed in this delightful story of the animals that come and go in their lives are 50 helpful tips for all pet owners. My favorites were these: “Tip #25: Most pets bought for children end up being cared for by the most responsible adult in the family. Tip #26: Sometimes the person you hope will be the most responsible adult isn’t.”
I enjoyed this book because it is heartwarming and amusing. The author may be skeptical about each new animal that comes into their lives, but she ends up loving every one, and their whole lives will revolve around caring for them all. This quote sums it up: “….every fuzzy and feathery critter that enters our lives has a story. And I believe it is our job as humans to make their stories as good as possible.” This book is easy to read and very entertaining. I think animal lovers of all kinds would enjoy it.
About the author Amy L. Peterson: Along with being a happily married wife and stepmother, and an author, she is an amateur photographer and outdoorswoman. She wrote another book similar to this one, only about her instant stepmotherhood: From Zero to Four Kids in 30 Seconds, and four children’s photo books. You can find her on her website AmyLPeterson.com (where she also writes a blog and shares photos of her pets) as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
This book is available on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords. Amy gives a portion of the proceeds from all of her books to animal rescue organizations. She has also generously agreed to give away a copy of her book to one of my readers! Please use the rafflecopter below to enter for your chance to win. The giveaway is open until 12am EST on April 26th, and is open to everyone.
All photos are courtesy of AmyLPeterson.com. *Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, but was in no other way compensated. I only share information that I feel will be of interest to my readers.
I owned hermit tree crabs. I tend to stick to dogs now.
Oh, goodness, I don’t think I even know what hermit tree crabs are, so they are definitely unusual! 🙂
This sounds like a lovely book – when I read the title it reminds me of suddenly being under Mum’s foot in the middle of the night as I’m trying to sleep and apparently wherever I choose is where she needs to stand in the dark – doh! 🙂
I also agree with rule #25 – The kids promised to do everything for me, but I know Mum’s the one I can rely on and if she’s not there I go to Dad! 🙂
I’m gonna enter your contest in the hope I can get a copy for my Mum! 🙂
I hope you’re having a fun day,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
I also have to be careful where I step in the dark (or even the light sometimes for that matter…hee hee).
Good luck in the giveaway, Snoopy, I know your Mom would love the book!
Sounds like a good book. Thanks for the review!
You’re welcome!!
It sounds like a fun book! I cannot imagine having some of those animals in my house on purpose but some, like a hedgehog, are just so darn cute to look at!
Happy Friday!
Oz
I’m with you, Oz, some are pretty darn cute. but I think I’d rather just admire them as someone else’s pets, rather than my own. I’ll stick to dogs and cats!
Have a great weekend!
Happy Easter to you all, we hope you get’z lot’z of Berd or Thuna wez will see’z youz
Tuezday xxxxoooxxxx
Mollie and Alfie
Happy Easter to all of you too!
xxxoooo
I don’t think we have had anything unusual… Dogs, Cats, Horses, Goats, Hamsters and Fish!!
Ha, I can’t believe the author of this book didn’t have a horse too! I’d say goats are at least a bit different than what a lot of people have, that’s pretty cool.
That sounds terrific! My Dad had a duck when he was little and it was with them for a long time.
That’s so cool! I think they can be really good pets if you have the place for them.
Oh I had a guest post from the author of this book but never got the chance to read it because I just don’t have time to read :/ It does sound like my kinda story though. It also sounds like the exotic vet that I used to work with. She was always taking animals home with her.
It made me think of you too, Ann, since you’ve posted more about unusual pets. I used to be able to read a whole book in a weekend….I think it took me about two months to read this one, now it’s like one or two chapters in a weekend!
Sounds like a sweet book – and I also love the duck in the sink!
Never had an unusual pet before… but I just had a memory from childhood… My friend desperately wanted a kitten (we were maybe 8? 9?) and we were convinced that we could keep one in a little crate behind her house and take care of it “on the sly” and her mom would never know. So the neighbor who was giving away the kittens actually gave us one (?!) and it lasted all of about 30 min with us being co-kitten owners before her mom came out to see what we were up to and busted us and took it back to the neighbor. (Guess we must have convinced the neighbor that mom said it was okay!) What goofballs we were!
That was a good story! Isn’t it funny the things that make perfect sense to us when we’re kids? Or that we thought we could get away with stuff like that, and not get caught? 🙂
Great review and I agree, usually pets bought for kids aren’t cared for by kids. My cousins son turned 12 and he said he was responsible enough to have a dog and his favorite breed was a great dane so they got him a great dane and who took care of the dog….mom.
Yes, that does happen a lot. I hope most parents who allow their kids to talk them into it, know what they might be getting into, and do want a pet themselves too.
My mom has always been a pet person, but she never had a duck! Sounds like a funny book!
I’ve always thought it might be fun to have ducks though! The book was funny….it was amazing all the different animals they’ve had, for people that didn’t live on a farm! 🙂
I love the baby duck in the sink!
I know, that’s adorable, right? That duck really had the run of the house, but eventually they had to take him to a farm.
When I was a child I found a box turtle. I think I was ‘allowed’ to keep it for a few hours, but was then convinced it belonged in a large pond. My grandfather helped me release the turtle.
Other than that, it’s been typical fish, hamsters, cats, dogs. I’m boring which is why I got Delilah. 😉
I only had a parakeet when I was a child, nothing unusual for me!
Sounds like a fun read! I bet it would be fun to have so many different species of siblings!
Thanks for stopping by our blog! I am always excited when spotting another golden, as well!
You’re welcome, Chewy, it was so great to meet you! It would be fun to have all those crazy animals, huh? I think we’ll stick to dogs and cats though!
Sounds like a cute book! I love ferrets! One of my fav animals for sure!
I have owned lizzards, and things like that, but that was when I was much younger. I don’t even like to touch those things anymore! haha!
We helped a baby raccoon once, he had a hurt leg, he was my pet for a while until he healed.
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
They had A LOT of ferrets, so you would definitely enjoy that part of the book. I never had any kind of reptile, definitely not my thing – ever. We might have helped some wounded birds from time to time but I think that was about it!